Ten Hearts Perfection, True Qi Born; Gold Element Dream Awakens, Sword Skill Achieved

For several days, Chen Duan remained, but with his current keen perception of Vast Qi, he hadn't detected even a trace of Malevolent Spirit energy.

At first, he suspected that the Malevolent Spirits here were special, able to evade the detection of Vast Qi.

But after several consecutive nights without finding any abnormalities, he concluded that the talk of a "haunted house" was likely just rumor or people scaring themselves.

"What a shame for this Vast Tiger Soul Divine, that the Malevolent Spirits won't get to enjoy it," he felt a slight regret.

After a brief period of adjustment, he began cultivating multiple techniques simultaneously.

Screech!

His upper garment was carelessly torn off, revealing his robust torso.

Immediately after, a burst of bone-cracking sounds echoed.

The muscles near his shoulder blades writhed.

The next moment, two arms of different skin colors emerged.

These were the abnormal limbs carrying the internal energy of Severing Nothingness Blade and Ten Hearts Sword.

The day he cultivated six techniques at once was akin to a nouveau riche indulging in "revenge spending" after a massive windfall. Once he calmed down, he gradually understood the principle of slow and steady progress.

After a few days of exploration, he discovered that the optimal state was to cultivate two techniques simultaneously, preferably those with similar internal energy properties.

Cultivating two techniques, rotating them in segments, led to faster overall progress and significantly reduced the burden compared to advancing six at once. Thus, it was the "optimal state."

Currently, he chose Severing Nothingness Blade and Ten Hearts Sword.

Although one was a saber and the other a sword, with different styles and not perfectly compatible internal energies, they both belonged to the Way of the Weapon. Compared to pairing them with fist or palm techniques, their compatibility was already considered excellent.

The two abnormal limbs moved in tandem: one saber slashed fiercely, whistling through the air; one sword weaved nimbly, exuding a faint, chilling aura.

When Chen Duan acquired these two arms, he had considered everything thoroughly, even borrowing the "natal weapons" that their original owners had nurtured for many years. Now, practicing with them, he didn't need to start nurturing the weapons from scratch, allowing him to get up to speed quickly.

He immersed himself in the insights of the saber and sword forms, his mind focused, far more serious than when he practiced weapons before.

After all, both were superior True Skills of the Five Levels, far beyond the crude techniques of the past, worthy of his full attention.

Suddenly.

His footsteps halted.

The sword-wielding abnormal limb thrust forward, emitting a condensed azure glow, and slashed diagonally at the ground before him.

With a soft sound, as if cutting tofu, a deep groove several inches into the bluestone slab appeared, with wisps of azure Sword Qi lingering at its edges.

Chen Duan's movements froze as he looked at the thin sword in his hand, seeing azure True Qi swirling around it, emitting a faint hum.

[Ten Hearts Sword +7%]
[Ten Hearts Sword (Five Levels) (93%) → Ten Hearts Sword (Perfection)]
["Ten Hearts Sword (Five Levels)" has broken through to the Perfection realm, Potential +1800]
[Potential: 20670 + 1800 → 22470]

The True Qi was externalized, condensed and unmoving, having reached the Five Levels.

The internal energy of Ten Hearts Sword, cultivated through the "Flower Transfer Grafting" method, manifested its Perfection state by producing this "Sword Qi."

Sword Qi was the special term for True Qi in the Way of the Sword.

The essence of Ten Hearts Sword lay in its ten distinct sword intent characteristics. Although there was no manual to refer to, through cultivation and insight, Chen Duan could deduce the roughly corresponding ten sword move variations.

This sword technique primarily focused on intricate changes and complex, bizarre moves. It was arguably the most complex of the six techniques and should have taken the longest to cultivate. However, with Chen Duan's Potential boost and the foundation of multiple techniques, it was the first to break through to Perfection.

For him, understanding the essence of this skill-based sword technique was not difficult. The challenge lay in other techniques that primarily focused on strength, requiring solid, step-by-step accumulation for qualitative change.

Feeling the agile Ten Hearts Sword True Qi within his body, Chen Duan gained an unprecedented understanding of the "Way of the Weapon."

Ordinary Martial Artists often considered weapons external objects, inferior to fists and feet which were their own strength.

But in reality, this was merely the limited view of the weak. Once one reached the realm of the Five Levels, the perception was entirely different.

The sword and Sword Qi became one, resonating and intertwined, inseparable. And Sword Qi originated from internal energy, which was part of the Martial Artist. Thus, it brought about a mysterious sensation of "the person is the sword, the sword is the person."

He swung again casually, and this feeling became clearer and deeper, almost indistinguishable from swinging his own fist.

Weapons were not external forces but a part of the Martial Artist, detached from the physical link and achieving a deeper level of resonance.

When the person exists, the sword exists.

When the sword exists, the person exists.

Afterward, Chen Duan turned and walked into the house, taking out a sheathed longsword.

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

The scabbard flowed with a golden luster under the moonlight, incredibly luxurious. It was a gift from Linghu Yan, the Sect Master of Yuanxiang Sect, before his death, imbued with the profound mysteries of the Gold Element Art.

This was the sword of a Break Apex expert.

However, in the past, Chen Duan had tried to comprehend it many times but always felt like seeing flowers in a fog, unable to find an entry point.

Now that he had begun to grasp the true meaning of the Five Levels of the Way of the Sword, how would holding this Gold Sword turn out?

He would know with a single try.

A clear, resonant dragon's roar echoed as the gold sword unsheathed in response.

It appeared ancient and unadorned, with no special features.

But when he calmed his mind and channeled the True Qi of the Ten Hearts Sword.

The gold sword trembled slightly, a faint connection transmitting from the hilt to his palm, reaching directly into his heart's lake.

Chen Duan felt a surge of inspiration and slowly closed his eyes.

The next moment.

His vision suddenly widened, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore filled his ears.

Splash!

A wave surged forward, and the icy seawater soaked his pant legs.

He immersed himself in this artistic conception, forgetting himself and the world, unaware of the passage of time.

He didn't know how long had passed; it felt like an instant, yet also like eternity.

Chen Duan suddenly stood up, his eyes still closed, as if still lost in thought.

The gold sword in his hand was now fully unsheathed. Following the rhythm of his body, he pointed the sword towards the sky.

In an instant, the sword's momentum was like a galaxy pouring down, crashing down with a roar.

Then, it was like the vast sea overflowing, a raging tide surging.

The gold sword in his hand seemed to possess a life of its own, dancing through a set of natural, unknown sword techniques until its light sliced through the night, and the east began to brighten.

Chen Duan suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them before disappearing.

He was oblivious to the dawn.

Only upon waking from his dream did he realize the sword had returned to its sheath.

Recalling the wondrous feeling he had just experienced, he couldn't help but murmur in admiration, "Magnificent!"

The marvel of this sword was no less than that of the way of fists and palms.

At the same time, he felt a strange aura swirling within his dantian.

It was the internal energy of the Gold Element Art.

[Successfully learned "Gold Element Art (True Skill)", Potential +20]

[Potential: 22470 + 20 → 22490]

[Gold Element Art (1%, Entry Level)]

[This technique is a "True Skill", the realm after Entry Level is "First Level - Sword Light"]

"It seems this gold sword itself is indeed the inherited secret manual for the Gold Element Art."

Unlike the techniques obtained through "Flower Transfer Grafting," the panel clearly showed it starting from "Entry Level," proving he had comprehended the orthodox original.

Although it took him an entire night to merely reach Entry Level, Chen Duan felt no sense of wasted time.

Because the internal energy of the Gold Element Art had unique characteristics compared to the other four elements. It guided cultivation through "Visualization" from the very Entry Level, similar to the Fourth Level, making it impossible to judge by ordinary standards.

He hung the sword at his waist.

He wished to nurture his lifebound sword, keeping it with him from now on.

However, it was obvious this sword was no ordinary item. Walking around with it openly would inevitably attract covetous glances.

Yet, Chen Duan showed no intention of concealing it.

As the saying goes, "A person does not hide their appearance, and a sword does not conceal its edge."

If he couldn't even protect his own sword, how could he practice swordsmanship?

A trace of Vast Qi flowed through his body, washing away the fatigue from a night of cultivation.

He called Ah Huang and prepared a hearty breakfast. After eating, he emerged from his room with renewed vigor, blending into the hustle and bustle of Yingcheng's morning.